Pasta ’ncasciata
Pasta ’ncasciata is a baked pasta from Messina layered with meat ragù, fried aubergine, salami, hard-boiled egg and caciocavallo, a Sunday and feast-day dish of north-eastern Sicily.
CKContributed by The Castruriali Kitchen · CastrorealeSee all their recipes →Ingredients
- 3 tbspCastruriali extra virgin olive oilOlive oil for the ragù, for frying the aubergine and for oiling the dish so the edges crisp.
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 300 gminced beef and pork
- 100 mlred wine
- 700 mlpassata
- basil, salt and pepper
- 500 gshort pasta: maccheroni, rigatoni or penne
- 2 aubergines, sliced 5 mm thick
- olive oil for frying
- 150 gcaciocavallo or provola, diced
- 100 gSicilian salami, diced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 80 gpecorino or caciocavallo, grated
Method
Make the ragù. Soften the onion in the oil for 8 minutes, brown the mince, add the wine and let it bubble off, then add the passata and a few basil leaves. Simmer gently for 1 hour until rich. Season.
Fry the aubergine. Fry the aubergine slices in hot olive oil until golden on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper.
Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the packet says. Drain and mix with two-thirds of the ragù and half the grated cheese.
Layer. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Oil the dish and line it with a layer of aubergine. Add half the pasta, then the diced cheese, salami, egg and more aubergine. Cover with the rest of the pasta, the remaining ragù, aubergine and grated cheese.
Bake. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and golden at the edges. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting.